Your Water. My Water, Australia

Project name: Your Water. My Water

Project location: Australia

Website: https://pipicmedia.com.au/acland-mine-expansion

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PipicMedia/

Project description:

'Your Water, My Water' is a documentary project about a small rural community taking on a rich, powerful coalmine in a fight to the death over their farmlands in what has become the biggest environmental court case ever. The small town of Acland, on the rich plains of the Darling Downs west of Toowoomba in Southern Queensland, was literally wiped off the map ten years ago. New Acland Coal bought out most of the town during Stages 1 and 2 of its mining operation. Acland (with its one remaining resident) is now at the centre of the biggest environmental court case in Queensland’s history with local landholders opposing the expansion of the open-cut coalmine to Stage 3.

The difficult experiences that eighty-one-year-old retired farmer, Aileen Harrison, has had with the coalmine epitomise those of many others in the area. Aileen has been forced to give up her dreamhome, built for her retirement with her husband, Ken, to escape the effects of coal dust, nitrogen dioxide, noise and light pollution from Stages 1 and 2 of the coalmine that were effecting her health. These kinds of experiences, along with little support from government agencies, compelled local landholders to join the environmental group, the Oakey Coal Action Alliance, to take action. This group of local landholders filed an objection to the mine expansion through the Queensland Land Court. The case was planned to take ten weeks. It was still in court over one year later. This huge case, having heard evidence on water, air, noise and light pollution economic and community impacts, reopened in April, 2017, to hear new evidence pertaining to the region’s precious underground water. The aquifer water is necessary for food production, yet it also floods the mine pits. More water will be pumped out of the aquifers if the coalmine expansion proceeds, which causes great concern among farmers.

31st May, 2017: After nearly one hundred exhausting days of evidence and years of preparation, the Queensland Land Court has advised that this mine expansion should be rejected because it breaches the principal of intergenerational equity "with the potential of groundwater impacts for hundreds of years to come."

16th June, 2017: The New Acland Mine is now launching an administrative appeal to the Land Court Decision.

This documentary follows this main narrative to its conclusion while investigating important background elements to the story involving, a. the political donations associated with this mine, b. the royalties that peculiarly flow to the owners of the mine lands leaving only 7% flowing to government, c. the importance of agricultural production in the region of the Darling Downs, and d. the aquifer water flow which will be affected, not only by this mine’s activities, but by many other coalmines in Australia.

Part of this project involves the production of a series of short videos designed for social media to be rolled out during the period between the court's decision and the final decision by the Queensland Government. The story has already taken a twist with the recent appeal by the mine in an attempt to delay the final decision in the event of a change of government later this year so the importance of a balanced view in the media has now become urgent.

Goal and purpose of the project:

The documentary, 'Your Water, My Water' is about the impacts of coalmining on communities and significant agricultural and biodiverse areas around Australia, in particular on the Darling Downs in Queensland. It will present a side of the mining story that is currently under-reported, in order to balance the many pro-coalmine stories being circulated. It is designed to present a balanced view of the issues surrounding the application for the New Acland Coal expansion to Stage 3 which will be under consideration by the Queensland Government later this year. It will also have ramifications pertaining to other mining activities in terms of groundwater usage throughout Australia. The information presented in this film, which includes the portrayal of residents and landholders objecting to the mine, the objectives of New Acland Coal, the workings of the Queensland Land Court and the history of the Darling Downs region, will provide opportunities for a long tail in the films life. Mainstream media uptake of a more balanced rendition of this story will be monitored as well as the outcomes of any decisions for the future of the Darling Downs.

Motivation of the applicant / applicant team:

I have been working with this community for over two years, building urban support for their case through my previous work with Lock the Gate Alliance. Since finishing with Lock the Gate I have continued my commitment to the people in their attempt to halt the incursion of coal mining into valuable agricultural lands. The tremendous efforts of the objectors to the mine expansion have been an inspiration to everybody who opposes the use of fossil fuels and the wastage of the precious underground water and who values the human rights of landholders. These are ordinary people caught up in powerful mining interests in Australia. And although our country is expansive, good agricultural land makes up only 6% of our landmass. I am concerned, not only with the effects of the continued use of fossil fuels, but the effects that this rich industry can have on people who just want to live normal, productive lives and look after the land for future generations.

Use of prize money:

I would like to bring onto the project a young graphics artist from the university in the region near the mine to add a local, intergenerational quality to the documentary. This would give something back to the region and promote the documentary locally. The coalmine has provided jobs for many years so other industries starting in the region are necessary to show the people there what is possible.